ROURKELA: A day after a woman’s body was found in the pond of a newly constructed sensory park here, police on Wednesday identified the deceased as assistant collector Sushmita Minz.
A native of the Ramabahal area in nearby Rajgangpur of Sundargarh district, Minz was posted at the office of Rourkela additional district magistrate (ADM). Police attributed her death to drowning. However, there is no clarity on the circumstances leading to her drowning and death.
A senior police officer said the assistant collector had a disturbed family life and she was in the process of getting divorced. She used to attend office at Rourkela from Rajgangpur and it appeared she also did not have good terms with her family members. After Minz did not return home, her brother on September 17 came searching for her and sought the help of Uditnagar police. Hours later, police found her staying at a hotel. When she refused to go with her mother and brother, the police took an undertaking from her. Later on Tuesday, she was found dead in the pond with her sandals and other belongings kept inside a plastic bag, lying on the steps of the water body.
While Rourkela SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra was not immediately available for comment, Plant Site IIC JR Pati said Minz died of drowning. However, he did not divulge any details regarding the circumstances under which she died. The IIC further said the woman officer’s body was handed over to her family members after autopsy. An unnatural death case has been registered and further investigation is underway.